AjlouniBoy
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Sling smarter, not harder!
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Detailed accounts of the roles of slingers in the Roman Army are related by Vegetius:
Flavius Vegetius Renatus: Epitome of Military Science
Book II: The Ancient Legion
14. Lines of Battle
In a Fifth line were sometimes placed carriage-ballistas and manuballistarii (crossbowmen or catapultiers), “sling–staff men” (fundibulatores) and slingers (funditores). “Sling–staff men” are those who cast stones from a “sling-staff”(fustibalus) The “sling-staff” is a staff 4 ft. long, attached to the middle of which is a sling (funda) made of leather and operated with either hand, it discharges stones almost like the mangonel (onager). Slingers discharge stones from slings made of flax or hair-the later are said to be better-by whirling the arm about the head.
17. When the battle commences the heavy armament stands like a wall.This point should be noted and maintained by every manner of means: when the battle commenced, the First and Second lines stood immobile…Meanwhile, the light troops, armaturae, exculcatores, archers and slingers, i.e. the light armament provoked the opposition, going in front of the line. If they managed to put the enemy to flight, they pursued. If they came under pressure by the other side’s resolve or numbers, they returned to their own men and took up position behind them. Then the heavy armament took up the battle, and stood so to speak like a wall of iron…
23. The training of soldiers Archers and slingers used to put up scopae, i.e. bundles of brushwood or straw, for a target, removing themselves 600 ft. from the target, to practice hitting it frequently with arrows, or stones aimed from a “sling-staff” (fustibalus). This enabled them to do without nerves in battle what they had always done in exercises on the training-field. They should also be accustomed to rotating the sling once only about the head, when the stone is discharged from it.
24. War Elephants [Methods of dealing with War Elephants including chariot or horseback spearmen, infantry with pikes, lances, or javelins, slingers, and ballistas firing extra large bolts are discussed.]
Another method was for slingers with “sling-staves” (fustibali) and slings to shoot round stones at the Indians controlling the elephants, knocking them off, turrets and all, and slay them; no safer method has been found than this…
Against elephants we have listed several examples and devices, so that if the need ever arise it may be known what should be deployed against such monstrous beasts.
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